Work guide for sewing machines



June `19, 1951 S. SESERMAN WORK GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet l F'iled April 26, 1949 Inventar;

l '-llllllllll June 19, 1951v Filed April 26, 1949 s. SEsERMAN WORK GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES 2 SheetsSheet 2 fm1/en tar,

Patented June 19, 1951 rw WORK GUIDE Fon SEWING MACHINES Samuel Seserman, Dorchester, Mass., assignor of one-third to Benjamin Schwartz, Brighton, Mass., and one-third to Harold Linder, Roxbury, Mass.

Application April 26, 1949, Serial No. 89,718

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in work vguides for sewing machines and the like. More particularly it provides improved antifriction work guides wherein a roller is adapted to be engaged by an edge of the work, and supporting and adjusting means for the roller is designed and arranged to facilitate relatively free manipulation of the work relative to the roller without need for the operator to manually lift edge portions of the work over obstructions during any particular stitching operation.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a work guide for sewing machines and the like wherein a work engaging roller is adjustable toward and from the axis of the sewing machine needle and wherein means fiXedly associated with the roller has sloping surfaces for engaging under and lifting portions of the work as the work is rotated about the roll, as when stitching is proceeding along a curved edge of the work, whereby rotated portions of the work ride over the sloping surfaces without any interruption of or interference with the work feed.

Another object is to provide a work guide for sewing machines and the like wherein a work engaging roller is supported for operatively engaging an edge of a Work sheet and is substantially unyielding under edgewise pressure of the work thereon but is readily depressible by the work sheet when the latter engages over an end of the roller, as when a solid portion of the work sheet is being shifted over the roller to bring a fresh edge into guided relation to the periphery of the roller, the roller springing back into guiding relation to said edge when the work sheet disengages its end.

A further object of the invention is to provide a work guide for flexible sheet material wherein a roller is adapted to engage an edge of the work sheet at the peripheral surface portion of the roller which is closest to the line of action of a sewing machine needle and wherein a shield extends around other portions of the periphery of the roller with sloping laterally extending surfaces for engaging under portions of the work when the work is rotated about the roller, whereby rotating portions of the work ride over the sloping shield while the edge portion which is being guided is pressed against the periphery of the roller.

Yet another object is to provide a work guide for sewing machines and the like wherein a roller engages an edge of the work and is adjustable toward and from the line of action ofv the needle by means which presents no obstruction to relatively free manipulations of the work against and around the roller.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and efcency of sewing machine work guides and more especially Such guides having an adjustable anti-friction roller for engaging an edge of the work.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the work feed plate portion of a sewing machine having guide means thereon embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on a larger scale; Y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a perforated work sheet in the process of being of one of its per- Fig. la is a fragmentary cross-sectional View showing a shorter roller;

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary cross-sectional view Vshowing the guide roller depressed by a solid portion of the work sheet;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified form of work guiding roller and adjustable supporting means therefor;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View on line l-'I of Fig. 6, on a larger scale;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View on line 8--8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View on line 9-9 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the `roll supporting slide member, omitting the roller; and

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View on line II-II Of Fig. 6.

tial radial distance outward from a location close p to the needle hole I8, and the upper surface of the plate is grooved at 24 from the outer end of slot 22 to the extreme edge of the plate.

As best seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, a composite slide is seated in groove 24 and extends a substantial,` distance beyond the groove into the slot 22.

'The slide Vcomprises a resilient strip 26 whose outer end portion is secured to a rigid strip 28 which overlies the strip 26. The inner end portion of resilient strip 26 preferably will have a generally S-shaped form adjacent to a flat inner end portion 21, and a roller 3S is mounted on end portion 21 of strip 26, with its axis vertical. The rigid strip 28 has its inner end bent downward a little at 2S, and this portion 29 stands closely adjacent to roller 30 for preventing any appreciable tilting of the roller when a work sheet W is pressed against the periphery of the roller. But the roller readily depresses in response to pressure applied to its upper end, and the S-form of the strip 26 adjacent to the roller enables downward movement of the roller without any appreciable tilting of the roll out of a vertical plane.

As represented in Fig. 4, the roller 3G extends above the plane of the upper surface of the work sheet W, and the upper end of the roller pin is rounded at 3l to facilitate slippage of an edge of a work sheet W over the end of the roller during manipulation of the sheet, and the sheet, when engaging over the end of the roller, depresses it as seen in Fig. 5, to facilitate shifting of the sheet. Preferably, however, the roller will have its upper end terminating about at the plane of the top surface of the work sheet, as shown in Fig. 4a, so the sheet more readily can ride over the end of the roll when a particular stitching operation has been completed.

In many cases, the guided edge of a work sheet W will be a curved edge, or the edge of a hole or opening in the work sheet, so that the work must be turned or rotated about the guide roller 3 as the stitching proceeds. For example, it may be desired to stitch around the edges of cut-outs in a vamp for a shoe, in which case the edge of each cut-out, in succession, must be brought into guided relation to roller 30, and the vamp will be rotated about roller 3e as the stitching around each cut-out proceeds.

According to the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1-5, a work lifting shield 32 is secured to the upper surface of the rigid strip 28, being grooved at 33 for tting closely around the rear and sides of roller 30 at the upper end portion thereof. Shield 32 has its side portions sloping downwardly to its edges, so that the forward and side edge portions of the shield are adapted to engage under the work sheet to cam it upward over the shield when the work sheet is rotated about the roller 30. This enables the sheet to be freely manipulated without its edges becoming butted against obstructions which would interfere with movements of the sheet. Heretofore, the operator has been required to manually lift the work over obstructions which have been incidental to the prior work guides.

The composite roller-carrying slide, comprising the strips 2S, 28 and the shield 32 is slidably adjustable along the groove 24 in plate l2. The outer end of rigid strip 2B is turned upward at 29 for engaging in notch 34 of an adjustable plate 36 which is adjustably xed on part i6 of the machine outward of plate I2. Adjustable plate 36 is slotted at 38 and two screws 4Q, 42 maintain it in adjusted positions, screw 42 preferably being a finger screw which is readily operable by the fingers. Hence, by loosening screw 42, plate 36 may be adjusted to set the roller 3i) in any selected spaced relation to the axis of the needle, following which the screw 42 may be tightened to secure the setting of the roller.

A feature is that the plate 36 has sloping surfaces which eliminate abutment edges in the path of a work sheet being manipulated around roller 30, the sheet edges riding over the sloping margins of plate 36. Also, the screws 4G and 42, though relatively remote from the roller, may have generally dome-shaped heads over which edges of the work sheet will ride, with no appreciable interference'from the screws.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 6-11, a modified type of roller 44 has diameter greater than the width of slot 22 in plate l2, so that the lower end of the roller 44 rests loosely on plate I2 between the plate and the head 46 of the roller supporting pin 48. The upper end of the roller is countersunk for receiving head 45 of the pin 48, and the lower endl of the pin is secured to the end part 50 of a rigid strip 52 which is slidably seated in groove 24 of plate i2, with its outer end turned upward at 54 for engaging in the notch 34 of adjustable plate 36. In this case, the roller 44 is not depressible, and no shield corresponding to shield 32 of the earlier described form is needed. However, as in the earlier described embodiment, the work sheet may be rotated about roller 44 without its edges encountering any obstruction which would interfere with free manipulation of the sheet during a stitching operation.

It will be obvious that the invention may be readily and inexpensively embodied in conventional sewing machines by merely providing the usual plate l2 with the slot 22 and groove 24, and providing two threaded holes in part I9 for reception of the screws 40, 42. Also, my improved work guide quickly may be removed in oase it may be desired to stitch work which requires no edge guide, the slotted and grooved plate l2 serving in its usual manner, in such cases.

Another feature of the invention resides in mounting the rollers 30, 44 so that a roller may be quickly removed and another roller of different size or shape substituted. Each roller pin has its lower end threaded for screwing into its supporting strip.

It is intended that'the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a sewing machine having arernovable plate through which the sewing needle is operable, a work guide slidably mounted on said plate, said plate having a groove therein and said guide having a strip portion slidably seated in said groove, there being a slot in said plate between the axis of said needle and the inner end of said groove, a roller mounted on the inner end of said strip portion of the guide with its axis generally parallel with the needle axis, said roller having an axial element extending within said slot and removably securing the roller to said strip portion of the guide with a peripheral surface portion of the roller projecting above the top face of said plate and adapted to be engaged by an edge of aA work piece arranged over said plate in the path of said needle, an'adjusting plate adjustably supported beyond the limits of the rst mentioned plate and having aV portion projecting over the said groove in said kirst mentioned plate, and inter-fitting means on said strip portion of the guide and said projecting portion of said adjusting plate whereby said-roller may be adjusted toward Aand from the axis of the needle in response Ato adjustments Yof said adjusting plate.

2. In a sewing machine, a'plate having a hole therein for passage of a sewing needle, and having a radial slot therethrough extending a substantial distance outward from a location close to said needle hole, said plate also having a radial groove in its upper surface extending from the outer end of said slot to the edge of the plate in alignment with said slot, a strip element slidably seated in said groove and extending inward a substantial distance beyond the groove, a roller mounted at the inner end of said strip element and disposed with its axis generally parallel with the axis of said needle and with a peripheral portion projecting above the plane of the top surface of said plate, means adjustably xed outward beyond said plate with a portion extending over said groove in the plate, and a projection at the outer end of said strip element engaging said portion of the adjustably fixed means which extends over said groove, whereby said strip is adjustable along said groove in response to adjustments of said adjustably fixed means.

3. A work guide for sewing machines and the like, comprising a support having a straight slot therein of substantial extent and having a straight groove in its top surface aligned with the slot and extending from one end of the slot to an edge of the support, a resilient strip slidably seated in said groove and having an end portion extending into said slot, a roller removably mounted on said end portion of the strip and extending axially beyond said upper surface of the support, means maintaining said strip within said groove and adapted to secure the strip in selected positions along the groove thereby to set the roller in different positions relative to an end of said slot, said roller being depressible relative to said top surface of the support in response to pressure applied to the upper end of the roller.

4. A work guide for sewing machines and the like, comprising a support having a straight slot therein of substantial extent and having a straight groove in its top surface aligned with the slot and extending from one end of the slot to an edge of the support, a strip element slidably seated in said groove with an inner end portion extending into said slot, a roller mounted on the inner end portion of the strip element with its axis extending through said slot generally perpendicular to the said top surface of the support, and a member engaging over said strip in the slot and operatively connected to the strip for adjusting the strip along the slot to vary the position of said roller, said engaging member extending to a relatively remote location `and being adjustably secured at the latter said location.

5. A work guide for sewing machines and the like, comprising a support having 4a straight slot therein of substantial extent and having a straight groove in its top surface aligned with the slot and extending from one end of the slot to an edge of the support, a strip element slidably seated in said groove with an inner end portion extending into said slot, a roller mounted on the inner end portion of the strip element with its axis extending through said slot generally perpendicular to the said top surface of the support, a shield mounted on said strip and extending around a portion of the upper peripheral portion of the roller, with walls sloping to the plane of said upper surface of the support whereby a work sheet contacting the shield rides over said sloping surfaces, and means for securing said strip in selected positions along said groove.

6. A work guide for sewing machines and the like, comprising a support having a straight slot therein of substantial extent and having a straight groove in its top surface aligned with the slot and extending from one end of the slot to an edge of the support, a strip element slidably seated in said groove with an inner end portion extending into said slot, a roller mounted on the inner end portion of the strip element with its axis extending through said slot generally perpendicular to the said top surface of the support, and a member engaging over said strip in the slot and operatively connected to the strip for adjusting the strip along the slot to vary the position of said roller, said engaging member having walls sloping to the general plane of said top surface of the support whereby work moved into engagement with said member rides over said sloping surfaces.

SAMUEL SESERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 112,327 Dufour Mar. 7, 1871 615,463 Shaft Dec. 6, 1898 742,867 Harper Nov. 3, 1903 1,223,860 Dudley Apr. 24, 1917 1,507,618 Alson Sept. 9, 1924 1,850,888 Lieb Mar. 22, 1932 1,954,746 Palikoff et al Apr. 10, 1934 

